Ticktock.
The sound of the clock in the entrance broke the silence.
Ticktock.
The atmosphere in the villa dampened. Thunder roared outside. The incoming squall showed no sign of abating, and was raucous. Yurik’s face was beyond despondent, as if he’d lost his soul.
A little time passed, and even the flickering candle went out. The room grew heavy. With diminished vision, heightened hearing picked up sounds outside the villa.
Yurik sat down on the bed where Yune had been lying. Roger and I kept watch beside him. When I touched the bedspread, it felt damp and soggy.
“Worrying will only hurt you more.”
Roger said, staring straight ahead. Though meant as comfort, his words were blunt. I knew Roger well enough to understand how conflicted he must have felt saying them. Despite his demeanor, Roger was genuinely worried for Yurik.
“It’s better not to think at times like this.”
Roger stood up and brought a broom from the corridor. Since there were no maids, it meant we should clean up the room that had become dirty until the lady of the house returned. Roger handed a mop to me, and a trash bin to Yurik.
“Your sister will need to use this room again, so let’s clean it up.”
“…”
“Will you take care of the bedspread? Can you?”
Roger spoke, looking at the unresponsive Yurik.
“Have you turned into a rock? Why are you so quiet?”
Only then did Yurik’s gaze turn to Roger. Noticing his piercing stare, I sensed that it was a bad omen and cautiously set down my mop.
“Roger…!”
“Hey, nothing’s going to happen, okay?”
Before I could continue, Roger spoke to Yurik. That insensitive fool!
“You…”
“Huh? What did you say?”
“Who are you to guarantee that?”
Roger finally sensed the mood and shut his mouth. Yurik stood up slowly and approached Roger. As Yurik got closer, Roger noticeably flinched. Yurik, taller than Roger by a head, looked down on him.
“Do you know how dangerous it is to ride a carriage in this weather? You know the carriage nearly tipped.”
“No, I was just trying to comfort you…”
“Who are you?”
Yurik’s already angry tone turned acrid. Initially hesitant, Roger’s eyes narrowed as he sensed Yurik’s disdain.
“Hey, are you done talking?”
“Guys, it’s better to calm down.”
I intervened, but they both continued glaring at each other.
“Move, Lise. It’s his fault.”
“Fault? What did I do?”
How long will I have to get involved between these two? Because their interests slightly differed, they growled, making it hard for me.
“You were acting snobbishly despite my advice.”
“You were overstepping from the beginning.”
Now it was useless for me to intervene. They were both set on resolving their feelings first, with or without me in the middle. I shouldn’t have brought Roger to the Fenton Mansion. I shouldn’t have thought that they’d get along because they were of the same gender and similar age.
It was all my fault.
I introduced Yurik to Roger. I took Roger on a sea trip. I wished to go to the sea.
“You’re really like a dog.”
“…?”
“…Lise?”
They both looked at me with their grumpy faces, shocked or not, I was tired.
“I’m done intervening. Do whatever you want, but do it away from me. I can’t even stand to look at you.”
My words were notably sharp. Even I was surprised at how angry I was. But how about these two men? They stood stupidly, looking at me, completely shattered.
“No. I should leave the room. I’ll be in the corridor. Do whatever you like.”
“Lise!”
As I moved to leave, they both blocked my way. Should have done so sooner.
“Hey, I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s my fault. I’m sorry, Lise. I’m really sorry.”
Arguing over who was at fault, they now both apologized. Their effort was heartfelt.
What should I do? Should I let them reflect in silence?
Or should I say something worse to prevent them from fighting in the future?
[Dash]Thump!That plan didn’t last long. A skyshattering sound made everyone turn their heads towards the window. The wind had intensified. The force against the window was stronger than when we first arrived here.
This is serious.
The carriage that had departed not long ago must not have reached the village yet. Even worse, the carriage that Lady Yune took was freshly repaired and in unstable condition. There was no way the carriage, which slightly shook even on the villa floor, could be fine.
“Fortunately, it’s not raining.”
I approached the window and peered outside.
“It hasn’t been long since they left; they can’t be far. Let’s go check.”
Realizing the situation, I headed for the door. The area was desolate; if there was an accident, there was no one to ask for help. If someone was injured in an accident, it would be serious. So, it was necessary to go and check ourselves.
“No, Lise. It’s dangerous.”
Yurik’s voice grabbed my ankle.
“Rocks have a point. If you can’t even keep yourself upright, how can you go all the way to the carriage?”
“We couldn’t see properly because of the rain yesterday. So, let’s go before it starts raining.”
“It’s not safe just because it’s not raining.”
“It’s safer than when it’s raining.”
Male lead is a Destined Young Husband (Female-dominant)
One-sentence summary: Wife-master, listen to my explanation!
Li Ruantang, a young lady from a prestigious family, stumbled and fell. When she woke up, she saw a noble and beautiful young man sitting by her bedside, wiping away tears.
The young master had slightly reddened eyes, and his every move exuded charm.
The sight made Li Ruantang’s eyes hot and her heart flutter. After all, she had made a bet with the young master Meng from the neighboring family. If she couldn’t marry a husband before the end of the year, she would have to admit defeat and give up the jade she had worked so hard to obtain.
Outside the window, the flowers were in full bloom.
Rather than losing the bet, the jade, and her face, Li Ruantang calculated that it would be better to seek marriage with the young master in front of her, killing three birds with one stone.
…
Meng Jun never thought that an accident during a spring outing would lead to them rolling down a cliff and into a river, yet still survive.
Now they were trapped in an unknown village, and Meng Jun had overheard that the family who had rescued them had their own intentions.
After all, it was Li Ruantang who had lost her mind and sought marriage first. He was only trying to protect himself!
Glancing at Li Ruantang, who was listing her own merits, the young husband’s voice softened, and he blushed as he lied, “W-wife-master, Wife-master, don’t you remember me?”
The young husband’s voice was clear and handsome, coaxing Li Ruantang’s heart to be soft and sweet, and she spared no effort to protect him.
It wasn’t until they returned to the capital that Li Ruantang suddenly remembered.
When they had fallen off the cliff, in order not to implicate Wei Yunruo, whom he secretly admired, the young husband had instead pulled her, who was slightly farther away, down the cliff with him…
Short summary by Yuushi L: Initially, the male lead (ML) liked another girl, while the female lead (FL) liked the ML. Both fell off a cliff. The FL temporarily lost her memory, and the ML, fearing others might take advantage of him, claimed FL was his wife while they were staying in a village. Later, when they returned home, the FL regained her memories and remembered that the ML liked someone else, so she kept her distance from him. However, during their time living together in the countryside, the ML’s view of the FL had completely changed. From this point, his pursuit of the FL begins.
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